Independent Bookstore Day Celebration, Part 1

Find a local independent store and help them celebrate their special day

Hi readers,

Independent Bookstore Day began in 2014 when Samantha Schoech and the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association pronounced that the last Saturday in April would be the day that celebrates independent bookstores everywhere. Over four hundred bookstores participated in the inaugural national event in 2015, and in 2021 over seven hundred participated and celebrated in their communities.

Bookstores are so important to our communities and to the authors that create the books we all love. Two months ago, I contacted dozens of bookstores, and many responded with their plans for celebrating this special day. I couldn’t feature all of them, but I’ve chosen to highlight several from different areas of the US. Maybe one of these will be close enough to visit; if not, see the information at the end of the listing to find a bookstore close to you.

The Bookshelf, located in Thomasville, GA

Leading The Bookshelf’s celebration on Saturday is a donation to Read, Write to Lead of 10% of the day’s sales. There are online and in-person promotions when spending various dollar amounts, and there will be exclusive Indie Bookstore Day merchandise for sale. There is storytime for the little ones in the morning and a local author signing in the afternoon. The T-shirt design contest winner will be announced, and be sure to taste the baked goodies that The Bookshelf staff have created. Cast your vote for your favorite baked goodie to determine which employee earns the title Star Baker of The Bookshelf.

Books Are Magic, located in Brooklyn, NY

Who knew there were this many bookstores in Brooklyn? I sure didn’t, but Books Are Magic is one of the twenty-one participants in the Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl happening all week long leading up to Saturday. Pick up your Bookstore Crawl passport at any of the twenty-one participating bookstores and rack up signatures and stamps to be eligible for prizes and bookstore swag. At Books Are Magic, play trivia to enter to win raffle prizes, and be sure to make your chain for the store-wide paper chain showing your love for bookstores, books, and authors.

Magic City Books, located in Tulsa, OK

In 2019 I made my first out-of-town Independent Bookstore Day trip to see Modern Mrs. Darcy blogger and author Anne Bogel at Magic City Books in Tulsa, OK. The bookstore is gorgeous, the employees were so friendly and gracious, and it was standing room only for Anne’s appearance. What a fun day that was; I’d love to do it again sometime. Magic City Books starts off the weekend with a Slumber Party at the bookstore Friday night and continues during the day on Saturday with a Blind Date book promotion, exclusive books and literary items, a gift with every purchase, and an author talk and book signing in the afternoon.

Watermark Books and Cafe, located in Wichita, KS

Not only is Watermark Books & Cafe celebrating Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, but they are also celebrating their 45th anniversary; how exciting for them and their patrons. Starting the day is storytime hour for the little ones, and later on, a signing with a local author and cartoonist. Take your turn at the prize wheel and participate in all the activities all day long. All puzzles are on sale, and be sure to grab a sandwich while you are there. There is a limited-edition T-shirt available celebrating the anniversary, and there will also be exclusive Independent Bookstore Day merchandise available for purchase.

Left Bank Books, located in St. Louis, MO

Starting the day at Left Bank Books is a Kitty-Corn Party and storytime hour with Cliff and ending the day is a virtual author event. In between, there will be plenty of fun with activities for all ages, book sales, free gifts with eligible purchases, and for a small donation to the foundation, you can participate in Blind Date with a Book. There will be exclusive Left Bank and Independent Bookstore Day merchandise available for purchase, along with books and gifts to please every reader.

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I had so much fun putting this together and highlighting these five bookstores; more fun than one newsletter would allow, as I ran into the email “cut-off” limits. I also realized early on that I wanted to feature more than five bookstores, so tomorrow will be part 2 of the Independent Bookstore Day celebration newsletter highlighting bookstores across the country. Also in tomorrow’s newsletter are a couple of links to help you find independent bookstores in your area.

It was interesting seeing the differences in how each bookstore celebrates this special day; how they created events to meet their patrons' needs and draw in new customers.

See you tomorrow with part 2; happy reading!